Command Injection in gnuplot
Summary
GHSA-cfwc-xjfp-44jg: Command Injection in gnuplot. Affects gnuplot versions >= 0.0.0. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The gnuplot package is an open-source software tool used for creating graphs and plots. It provides a command-line interface for generating various types of plots, including 2D and 3D plots, histograms, and more. The package is widely used in scientific and data visualization applications. However, all versions of gnuplot are vulnerable to Command Injection.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in gnuplot arises from its failure to properly sanitize plot titles. If a user-supplied title value contains malicious code, it can be executed on the system, leading to arbitrary code execution. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to perform unauthorized actions, such as creating files, modifying data, or even gaining control over the affected system. A proof-of-concept demonstrates how an attacker can create a file named testing in the current directory by injecting a command through the title value.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
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Workaround
As there is no fix available, a possible workaround is to sanitize the plot titles manually before passing them to gnuplot. This can be done by validating and filtering user input to ensure it does not contain any malicious code. Additionally, it is important to restrict user input to only allow safe characters and avoid executing any user-supplied values as commands.
Conclusion
The gnuplot package is vulnerable to Command Injection, which can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected system. Currently, there is no fix available for this vulnerability. It is recommended to consider using an alternative package until a fix is made available. For further support on vulnerability remediation, you can reach out to DevNack.com.
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FAQ
gnuplot is an open-source software tool used for creating graphs and plots. It provides a command-line interface for generating various types of plots, making it popular in scientific and data visualization applications.
Command Injection is a security vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on a target system. In the case of gnuplot, the vulnerability arises from the failure to properly sanitize user-supplied plot titles, which can be exploited to execute arbitrary code.
The consequences of this vulnerability can be severe. An attacker can execute arbitrary commands on the affected system, leading to unauthorized actions such as creating files, modifying data, or even gaining control over the system.
Currently, there is no fix available for this vulnerability. It is recommended to consider using an alternative package until a fix is made available by the maintainers of gnuplot.
To mitigate the risk of this vulnerability, it is important to sanitize user input before passing it as plot titles to gnuplot. Validate and filter user input to ensure it does not contain any malicious code. Additionally, restrict user input to only allow safe characters and avoid executing any user-supplied values as commands.
References
Related vulnerabilities
Recent vulnerabilities recorded for gnuplot.
